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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Kevin Norwood shines on the brightest stage

Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Kevin Norwood caught four passes in the BCS National Championship game for a game-high 78 yards, averaging 19.5 yards per reception.

Who?

Unless you’re a diehard Alabama football fan who knows the depth chart and follows recruiting, the “game day only” Alabama fan has probably never heard of Kevin Norwood.

Norwood, the redshirt sophomore, has a grand total of 14 receptions in his entire Alabama career for a total of 246 yards and one touchdown.

Touchdown you say? Yes…touchdown.

While Norwood’s name and jersey number are not yet recognizable in ‘Bama football lore, his lone Crimson Tide touchdown was a “flip” of a good time.

One Man’s Pain…Another Man’s Fortune

Marquis Maze was supposed to be a star Monday night. Maze was supposed to provide AJ McCarron with a sense of “comfort” in the passing game and give Alabama a much needed offensive threat…especially a deep threat.

Maze deserved better…he earned better, but life isn’t always fair.

The Alabama wide receiver was injured while returning a punt early in the first quarter against LSU and his Alabama career came to an end. Maze, one of the Tide’s biggest contributors on the offensive side of the ball, was forced to watch the remainder of the contest behind a glazed film of tears.

Enter Kevin Norwood…

Norwood had been on the receiving end of seven passes during the 2011 regular season, but this wasn’t the regular season, and this certainly wasn’t just “any” game.

As history now records, the worst thing to happen to Marquis Maze was the best thing to happen to Kevin Norwood, and probably the best thing to happen to the Alabama offense.

AJ McCarron, who was “confident and cool” the entire game, utilized Norwood’s height (6-foot-2) against the smaller LSU defensive backs.

The former four-star high school prospect from D’Iberville, Mississippi only played in six games for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2011, but when it meant the most…Kevin Norwood played a vital role in the program’s 14th national championship.